Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, December 2019.

Calendar of Events.

December 9, 2019.  Christmas Dinner and Thank-you Dinner for Msgr. Hankiewicz, and much more.
Social Hour 5:30 p.m., Dinner at 6:00 at the University Club.  For those unfamiliar with the setting, parking is available at the surface lot north of the 5/3rd Bank Building. You may redeem your parking ticket before you leave the dinner so that your parking will be paid for. Invite spouses and guests, but be sure to keep Weldon informed so that he can provide an accurate count.  He can be reached at 401-0227 or kazu12769@gmail.com.
 The planned program will include awards to Dr. John Stepovich for 50 plus years of service to Serra;  Msgr. Ed Hankiewicz, retiring moderator and chaplain; and Msgr. Gaspar Ancona, Chaplain Emeritus.

This evening promises to be very interesting and informative for all of us, and especially potential new members who would like to learn more about what Serra does and what we do to pray for,
nurture and support priestly and consecrated religious vocations.

The dinner will be our club's only December event.

December 9 is also the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

December 16, 2020.  Last day to register for the Serra Rally for a $55 discount.  Added incentive:  the hotel is only a block away from the beach.

February 1 and 2, 2020.  World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.

January 16-19, Serra Rally, Ventura, California.

June 25-27, 2020.  Serra International Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Membership.

Note from Judy Cozzens.  FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, Serra is offering clubs an opportunity to receive money for the clubs that recruit the most new members.  This new initiative will be broken down to Large Club Category (25 members or more) and Small Club Category (25 members or fewer).  There is money to be had and free registrations to the Serra International Convention in N..ew Orleans, LA in June 2020.  The deadline for registering new members is November 30,2020, so it is very important that clubs identify their contact person and get it to the Chicago office.  Not only are there monetary awards, but also there is an opportunity to receive a ten percent discount on dues for one year starting July 1, 2020.

Just think!  For THREE new members, these benefits will become ours.  Please help us in our efforts to increase membership in our club.  Pljease report to John Osterhart or Weldon to report any good news of an increase in membership.

Seven Serrans Prayer for Vocation Directors.

Judy Cozzens, President of the USA Council joined the Serra International Communications Committee to inform the group about the new program to pray for Vocations Directors in every diocese in the U. S. Each club is being asked to organize seven-member teams whose members agree to commit one hour of prayer (Mass, Holy Hour, rosary, or other prayers) each week for one year in support of their Vocation Director.

Those who want to participate will sign up for one of the days of the week.  In our area, we may pray for Reverend Benjamin Rexroat of the Diocese of Gaylord.  If you wish to drop him a line informing him of your support, his address is 12675 Center Road, Traverse City, Michigan 49686.  e-mails can get lost in the shuffle, but a paper note or card is always special.  Our Vocations Director is Fr. Stephen Durkee.  Whether you have signed up for the special commitment or not, you may always offer your prayers for him and his work.

Prayer Cards.

We can order Serra prayer cards that we can hand out to family, friends, and even complete strangers to join Serra in praying for vocations from the Serra Store.  They come in packets of 50 for about $4 each and a discounted amount for more packets.  Pray the Serran prayer every day for vocations.  As you hand out the cards, invite the persons to a Serra meeting or to a Serra event.

John Liston's End-of-Year Message.

Dear Serra Club of Grand Rapids,

During this season of giving and Thanksgiving, I am writing you today to invite the Serra Club of Grand Rapids to prayerfully and financially consider supporting the Serra Foundation.  In 2018, with the help of many Serrans, we were able to provide 22 grants to organizations to help foster and support vocations to the Catholic Church.  We received over 60 grants last year, but we were not able to support all of them due to lack of funds.

The Serra International Foundation was created in 1951 to assist Serra in fulfilling is objective of fostering and promoting vocations in the Catholic Church.  The foundation provides monetary aid to seminaries, houses of religious formation, and other institutions tha promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood and religious life.

When Pope Francis addressed Serra International in 2017, he stated, "I encourage you to be true friends to seminarians and priests, showing your love for them by promoting vocations and through prayer and pastoral cooperation.  Please keep pressing forward!"  We must keep pressing forward with a spiritual diligence in supporting vocations on every level, especially spiritually and financially.  We can respond to this call by supporting the Serra International Foundation.  I am inviting you to consider supporting the Foundation at the Banner Club level ($1000-$1999).

We are so grateful for your support and are excited to tell you a about all the wonderful ways your financial donation will bless our future and current religious.

Sincerely,

John Liston
Executive Director of Serra International


From our President.

The main message for this month is to focus our efforts on making the December 9 dinner a success.  The president also wishes everyone a blessed and holy Christmas season.

What doth the Lord require of thee but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly in His ways?  Micah 6:8.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, November 2019

Calendar of Events.

November is the month of the dead.  Let us pray for the Faithful Departed.

Save the Date.  Looking Ahead to December 9, 2019.
December 9, 2019.  Thank you dinner for Msgr. Hankiewicz at the University Club.  5:30 gathering time, 6:00 dinner.  Invite spouses and guests, people who would make good Serrans, potential friends of Serra to this special event.  Weldon is estimating a count of 25, but we would like to increase this number if possible.  He is taking rsvp calls at 616-401-0227 or kazu12769@ gmail.com.  Cost per person is estimated at $25.00   This will be our only December meeting.   December 9 is also the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.

November 3-11, 2019.  National Vocation Awareness Week. This would be an excellent time for us to spread the good news about Serra and its mission.

November 11, 2019.  Luncheon and Business Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.
This is also the Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours and Veterans' Day.  We have been discussing a Sisters' Appreciation Dinner.  The ladies at IHM have mentioned their willingness to help.  We also  discussed a dinner for parents and family members of our priests and/or seminarians.  Much remains to be done in working out the details of both events.

November 11, 2019.  Fourth Annual Mass for God's Children, 7:00 p.m. at St. Andrew's Cathedral.Celebrant will be Fr. Scott Nolan.  The Mass is offered for families to remember and celebrate the lives of children who have died before baptism.  All are invited.

November 28, 2019.  Thanksgiving Day.



Prayer for National Vocation Awareness Week.

O God, Father of all Mercies, Provider of a bountiful harvest, send your graces upon those you have called to gather the fruits of Your labor; preserve and strengthen them in their lifelong service of You.  Open the hearts of Your children that they may discern Your Holy Will; inspire in them a love and desire to surrender themselves to serving others in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ.  Teach all Your faithful to follow their respective paths in life guided by Your divine word and truth.  Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, all the Angels and Saints, humbly hear our prayers and grant your church's needs, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Bishop Walkowiak's Capital Campaign.  

This campaign is one way, and an important way, for us to foster and support priestly vocations.  In his words, "Good, holy, and compassionate priests are a gift to God's people and the parishes they serve.  Our future as a Catholic community will be even more vibrant if we have a flourishing 
priesthood.

We are grateful that so many young men are now discerning a priestly vocation; nearly 30 men are currently enrolled as seminarians for the Diocese of Grand Rapids.  In the past five years, we have been blest with a 45 per cent increase in the number of men entering the seminary.  We look forward to their gifts and leadership as a large group of faithful and faith-filled diocesan priests enter their well-deserved retirement.

As a diocese, we are committed to ensuring these young men get the best possible formation and education so that they and we will benefit for decades to come from their priestly presence among us.  It is in support of this commitment that the Diocese of Grand Rapids is undertaking the Our Shepherds--Our Future Capital Campaign, a $33 million-dollar campaign to support seminarian education and priest retirement..."

Of this $33 million, $20 million will be allotted to the seminarian education endowment fund, $9 million to the seminarian education restricted fund, $2 million to priest retirement, and $2 million to campaign expenses.

Look for the formal kick-off time for this campaign for your parish.

'A Brotherhood of Men Striving After Christ.'
Don't miss the article by Seminarian David Bridge  in the November issue of Faith magazine (page 19).  As part of the Capital Campaign, he writes, "The purpose of college seminary is the formation of men. How can one become a holy priest if he is not first trained to be a holy and virtuous man?
At St. John Vianney College Seminary, our motto is, 'Men in Christ, Men of the Church, Men for Others.'  I could not think of a better way to summarize the kind of formation a seminarian receives during his time in college seminary.  This formation is vital for the Church and something that must be sustained...

To pay for this formation and education with my own resources would be impossible.  Without the support of generous members of the diocese, I and many other seminarians would be unable to have opportunities to grow as men of the Church.

The support seminarians receive goes first and foremost to education and formation.  It then helps supplement any sort of employment we would undertake, since the seminary does not allow us to work during the school year.  This support allows us to focus on our formation and studies rather than worry about how we are going to pay for it all...

God bless you for your prayers and support for the future of our Church!"

David Bridge is a senior at St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Pray and Work for...

an increase in membership for our club.  Also, Weldon is still hoping for a coup!  Let us hope and pray for someone to feel called to serve as our club president.

What does the Lord require of thee but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, October 2019

Calendar of Events

Today, September 29, is Priesthood Sunday.  
October is The Month of the Rosary and Respect Life Month.
October is the month of the Rosary, because of the anniversary of victory at the Battle at Lepanto and the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, occurring in October.  The Battle of Lepanto and the institution of the feast day took place in the 17th century; in the late 1800s, Pope Leo XIII officially dedicated the entire month to devotion to the Holy Rosary.

October 14, 2019.  Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.
October 18, 2019.  Feast Day of St. Luke, Patron Saint of Physicians, Surgeons, and Sculptors.  St. Luke was a gentile born of Greek origin.  He was a doctor, whom St. Paul described as the Beloved Physician.  It is believed that he was an artist who painted the first portrait of Mary.  Luke is the writer of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.  We have Luke to thank for the Scriptural parts of the Hail Mary:  "Hail Mary, full of grace" spoken at the Annunciation and "Blessed are you and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus" which was spoken by her cousin Elizabeth.  Luke best reveals Jesus as a friend of the downtrodden, comforting even the thief who was crucified alongside him.
October 22, 2019.  Feast day of St. John Paul II.
October 28, 2019.  Luncheon and Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.  All members are welcome to attend.

Looking Ahead.
December 9, 2019.  Dinner at the University Club, 6:00 p.m. Please feel free to invite spouses and guests.  See our President's Message.

Notes from the September 9 meeting.  Note from Weldon Schwartz:  We decided to send $400 for the priests' convocation.  The Muskegon club also agreed to provide $400.

Joint Meeting between the Grand Rapids and Muskegon Clubs, September 23.  At that meeting we discussed the following possibilities for future activities:  Organizing a priests' appreciation or a sisters' appreciation event, organizing a fundraising event for seminarians of religious orders to help them pay for expenses and pay off college debts, meeting with teachers of religion classes to discuss how Serra might be of help to them in encouraging vocations, and forming a new Serra club in Gaylord.

Note from Judy Cozzens.  An  invitation to a prayer initiative for vocations directors.
"Serra is organizing an effort to insure that all vocations directors in the U. S.  has at least one Serran praying for them for one hour a day for a year.  Each club will be asked to organize seven-member teams whose members agree to commit to one hour of prayer (Mass, Holy Hour, Rosary, or other prayers) each week for one year in support of their Vocations Director.  The seven-member teams would cover all seven days of the week among them.  The focus will be on Vocations Directors to the local clubs, but many clubs will be asked to cover additional Vocations Directors from areas where there is no Serra Club in the diocese.

If you have Serrans who attend daily Mass, they can offer their Mass and Communion for the diredtor and then pray a rosary for the, they will probably have fulfilled their one-hour commitment.  These directors are on the front line working for our church. Vocations Directors need our prayers.

We will discuss the possibility of adopting this practice at our next meeting.  Our vocations director is Fr. Stephen Durkee.

Judy Cozzens, of Plymouth, MN, is the president of U. S. A. Council of Serra International.

Our Shepherds, our Future Capital Campaign.

Bishop Walkowiak asks us to pray for our seminarians:

University of St. Thomas-St. John Vianney College Seminary, St. Paul, MN.,
Matt Jandernoa, St. Patrick Parish, Portland;  Charles Leidel, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Alex Paiz, Shrine of St. Francis Xavier/Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish; and Nathan Steffens, Holy Spirit Parish.  All of these seminarians are at the College 1 level.
University of Saint Mary of the Lake-Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, IL. Christopher Epplett, Theology l.

Another Prayer for Priestly Vocations.
Lord, give us holy, faithful and humble men willing to offer their lives for your sake, and for your Bride, the Church.  Give them the courage to be living witnesses to the reality of your passion, death, and resurrection.

May the men who have already begun their formation to be supplied with the grace if clear discernment about your will for their lives and may their example inspire other men.

Look upon the men already serving the flock as priests.  Continue to form them into your own image as spiritual fathers who will continue to be the greatest encouragement for all who are being called by you to consider the priesthood.

Lord Jesus, thank you for what you have given and for what you have yet to give.

May your Church never be lacking in gracious providers of your life to us in the sacraments.  Amen.

Note from Fr. Ted Kozloski of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Last weekend Fr. Ted had another commitment at the time of the 4:00 Mass, and he arranged for a substitute priest.  For one reason or another, he found out at the last minute that the arrangement he had made wasn't working out.  After a few tense moments, he was able to locate a priest from St. Andrew's, Fr. Bill (who was attending a meeting at the time), who said he would be available for the Mass.  He left his meeting and arrived at Our Lady of Sorrows at 4:02.  So, Mass began a few minutes late, but the important thing was, we had a priest.

Incidents of this kind should make us think once again about the importance of priests.  Without priests, we have no Eucharist, and without the Eucharist, we have no Church.  Thank you, Fr. Bill, and thank you to all priests for their service to the Lord.  Take a few minutes right now to pray for our priests!


Book of Prayers for Vocations.

Note from the Editor:

This past Friday, at the Adoration Chapel, I took a look at the forward of the Book of Prayers for Vocations and noted this passage:

"Founded in 1948, the Serra Club of Grand Rapids Club activities include contributions to an annual diocesan priest retreat, an annual recognition event for sisters of all orders in the diocese, a vocations dinner which raises funds for bishops' and priests' continuing education, and support for high school student participation in leadership retreats at Notre Dame and the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and for a joint program with the Boy Scouts leading to a Scout religious Venturing badge....

While we still carry on some of these activities, we have let some of the others go dormant.  Let us continue to work on membership so that we can promote and maintain our club's vitality.
Pray and work for membership and for priestly and religious vocations!

A Message from our President.   On Monday, December 9,  we will hold our December meeting at the University Club at 6:00 p.m.  This dinner will be a thank you for Monsignor Hankiewicz for all the services he provided to our Serra Club and it will also serve as our annual Christmas dinner.  Please let me know if you will be attending so I can provide a number to the U-Club.  This will be our only meeting for December, but we will have two meetings in October. See you then.

Pray for our fellow Serrans Len Gross and John Stepanovich.  Also continue to pray for Fr. Dennis Morrow.

What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?
The Micah mandate.

Mary, Mother of  Vocations, pray for us.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, September 2019

Calendar of Events.

August 26, 2019.  12:05 p.m. The August 26 meeting which we had scheduled for a joint session with members from the Muskegon Club was cancelled because of a power outage at Cathedral Square.  Weldon donated the food to God's Kitchen.  We will keep you posted as to a reschedule.  We were planning to discuss some of the activities which the two clubs could do together.

September 9, 2019.  Luncheon meeting and speaker, 12:00 p.m. at Cathedral Square.  September 9, 2019  Our speaker will be Daniel Orris, a transitional deacon who will be ordained a priest next  summer.  He was scheduled for August but when he realized that he had double booked himself for that day and rescheduled for September.

September 17, 2019,  All parish musicians of the diocese are invited to Mass with a blessing of renewal and recommitment to their ministry, 6:30 p.m. St. Andrews Cathedral.  All pastors, deacons, music directors, instrumentalists, cantors, choir members and staff associated with liturgical music are welcome.  A reception on Piazza Secchia will be held afterward.

September 19, 2019.  Right to Life Annual Fall Dinner 6:30 p.m.   Note a change in the usual location.  The dinner will be held at Thousand Oaks Golf Club, 4100 Thousand Oaks Drive, Grand Rapids, MI 49525.  Register online at www.helppregnancy.org/events  The speaker will be Father Frank Pavone-Priests for Life.

September 23, 2019.   Mass, Board Meeting and luncheon, 12:05 p.m.at the Cathedral, followed by the Board meeting and luncheon at Cathedral Square.

September  28, 2019.  Parish Ministry and Catechetical Conference:  Open Wide Our Hearts, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 P.M. at West Catholic High School, 1801 Bristol Avenue NW.
Keynote address will be given by Mike Patin, speaker and faith horticulturist.  More than thirty workshops will be offered along with day-long institutes on the topics of Scripture with Deacon Lucas and Catechesis with Jared Dees.  Bishop Walkowiak will celebrate Mass at noon.

We sadly note the passing of Dr. Laurence Burns.  Dr. Burns passed away on August 19.  He was an accomplished person who contributed much to our society.  I, for one, had noted earlier that he and Marion had not been attending meetings of late, but I had no idea that he was very ill.  If you wish to send a card to Marion and her family.  If you wish to send a card, you may get the address from the diocese.  Contributions in his honor may be sent to Grand Rapids Right to Life or to St. Stephen Church and School.

Also, Weldon has received a letter of resignation from Sara Vander Werff.  She has taken a new job and will be moving out of state.  We appreciate her service to the club, both as a member and a board member.  We will miss her, but we congratulate her

Priests' Anniversaries for September. 
Fr. Loc Trinh and Fr. Ron Hutchinson.

Priesthood Sunday.  Priesthood Sunday is coming up on September 29, 2019.  It is a special day set aside to honor priesthood in the United States.  It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one.  Compared to the other national and world vocations celebrations, Priesthood Sunday is a more personal one for parishes and organizations with a chaplain, who cultivate close working relationships with their priests and therefore could benefit from a special day to express their gratitude.  Starting in 2019, Priesthood Sunday was moved from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday of September, to allow it to better stand on its own apart from National Vocations Awareness Week. All the resources you need to plan this and the other three vocations awareness weeks are available at www.serraspark.org.  Choose Tool #11.

Membership.  The August, 2019 issue of the Serran features membership in several of the articles.
Mario Biscardi, Past President of Serra International, concludes the issue with Just Do It!  Overcoming Inertia to achieve your membership goals.  Download the issue from the Serra website if you do not receive it in the mail. Download it and read it and begin implementing the suggestions you see there.  If you cannot find it, just let me know and I will print it out and give it to you at our next meeting.

Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with your God!

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter April 2019

In this month's newsletter you will read about Fr. Dennis Morrow's special time of need for our prayers (and you will note his magnificent work as diocesean historian), and you will find that membership has taken on new urgency.  



Calendar of Events.

April 8, 2019.  Luncheon Meeting and Lenten Prayer Activity, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.    We will see you there!
April 14, 2019.  Palm Sunday.
April 18, 2019.  Thursday of Holy Week.
April 19, 2019.  Good Friday.
April 21, 2019.  Easter Sunday.
April 22, 2019.  Easter Monday and Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.
April 28, 2019.  Divine Mercy Sunday.  Also, Spaghetti Dinner, 11:00-3:00 at Our Lady of Sorrows.
Tickets in advance or at the door.  Call 243-0222 if you would like to order in advance.

Looking Ahead.

May 12, 2019.  World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
June 19-23, 2019.  Serra International's 77th Annual Convention, Mexico City. John (and Ellen) Osterhart, and Dennis (and Margaret) Leiber plan to attend.  Bishop David J. Walkowiak and Msgr. Ed Hankiewicz will attend as well.

Priests' Anniversaries for April.

Fr. Steven Cron, April 1, 1978.
Fr. Peter Damian, April 22, 2005.

Membership. 

Membership is the topic of the year, and we all wish to increase membership throughout 2019.  But we have recently learned of two developments that send us in the wrong direction:  Jenny Hunter has resigned from the club as of this month because she will be moving to Detroit to live with her elderly aunt who does not wish to live alone any more.  She also plans to spend her winters in Alabama
from now on.  She will continue to pray for vocations. In addition, we have learned that Dr. John Stepanivich has been moved to the memory care unit at the Clark Home.  Let us keep him in our prayers.

About the Convention.  

Serra International has sent the 2019 Convention Delegate Credential form.  Each club may choose one delegate, certified by signatures of the club president and secretary.  At our April meeting we will choose a delegate.  One of the items to be voted on concerns proposed amendments to the Serra International Bylaws.  If you wish to see the proposals, they may be found at serraus.org.
In a nutshell, the proposal is that Serra Councils in less economically developed countries may form non-chartered Serra Clubs.  They shall work to support vocations but not pay dues and shall not be entitled to a vote at the Delegates' Meeting.

CSA.  

You may have noticed that the 2019 CSA (Catholic Services Appeal) fund drive is underway.
The diocese has prepared a reminder that because of our support for the CSA, the Office of Priestly Vocations is able to educate future priests for our diocese.

The Office of Priestly Vocations is committed to creating a culture of vocations in the Diocese of Grand Rapids where bishops, priests, deacons, and lay people pray, think, and act to nurture, encourage and invite vocations to the priesthood.

There are 28 men in formation for the Diocese of Grand Rapids.  The average cost of education and expenses for a seminarian is approximately $39,000 annually. Your gift to CSA enables the Office of Priestly Vocations to promote vocations throughout the diocese, facilitate discernment opportunities, assess and evaluate candidates, and oversee the human, spiritual, academic, and pastoral formation of our seminarians.

The goals of the CSA coincide precisely with our Serra Mission.  Let us do what we can to support this cause.

We are also reminded that for more than 60 years, the Diocese of Grand Rapids has provided a televised liturgy to thousands of people who are homebound, hospitalized, or incarcerated.  The broadcast, which can be found live each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on Fox 17.  It is made possible through our support of the CSA.

Pray for Father Dennis Morrow.

Please keep him in your prayers as he battles stage 4 lung cancer and prostate cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.  We have not mentioned this before because we assumed that you already knew about it from your church bulletins.  The following letter appeared in the March 17 bulletin of Our Lady of Sorrows, but not all bulletins contained the information.  We apologize for not mentioning this matter before.

These are the words from Fr. Dennis Morrow:

And how could I not thank all of you who have been so generous with your prayers and best wishes, your vigils of care at the hospital and the rectory, your patient running errands, your attentiveness to my every need, and your devout understanding of some liturgical schedule modifications these past couple weeks?  The treatment plan for the cancer dictates my being out of circulation for some time.  I have been told by many, "If you think you're fatigued now, just wait until the chemo and radiation start!"  So for now, this is my offering to God and my work for you as a priest, letting my inconveniences and discomfort be a part of my share in "making up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ" (Colossians 1:24).

I've heard many people say, "Were praying for a miracle."  I'm praying that if a miracle will give more glory to God and bring more souls to ponder the power of Christ in their lives, fine.  And if
God has another course of action in mind that will accomplish more, that's fine, too.  I had a nice chat with God and with Bishop Baraga in the wee hours of a morning last week.  Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga (1797-1868) was the first resident priest right here in our Grand River Valley (1833-35).  Five years ago on Easter Bishop Walkowiak dedicated the great memorial rock and plaque on the site of the first Catholic Church here in what became Grand Rapids.  You can visit it anytime, just west of Front on the north side of Butterworth Street.  Our native son and frequent visitor, Archbishop Charles A. Salatka (1928-2003), was a successor of Bishop Baraga as Bishop of Marquette.  He expressed to me many times now anxious he was to have a miracle that would further Baraga's cause for canonization, which has moved along slowly but surely.


So, I offered my services to God and to Bishop Baraga for God's glory and the good of souls.  I recommend to you the prayer which I received from the Bishop Baraga Association, which they are using to promote the cause and to seek Baraga's intercessory companionship in prayer.  Here it is:
O God, thank you for the life and holiness of your servant, Frederic Baraga.  I pray you will honor him by the title of Saint.  He dedicated himself completely to missionary activity to make you known, loved and served by the people you love.  As a man of peace and love, Baraga brought peace and love wherever he traveled.  Lord, grant me the graces and favors for which I pray (mention your intentions).

Fr. Den

Send cards to Fr. Dennis Morrow, 520 Myrtle St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Micah 6:8.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us!

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter March 2019

In the diocese of Grand Rapids, we are blessed with 105 priests, 15 from religious communities, 8 from other dioceses, 33 deacons, 28 seminarians, and women religious from 10 orders.

Calendar of Events.

March 6, 2019.  Ash Wednesday.
March 10, 2019.  Daylight Savings Begins.
March 9, 2019.  Diocese of Grand Rapids Men's Retreat, 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at West Catholic High School.  Registration is still open.  Speakers will be as follows:  Elvis Grbac, record-setting Michigan quarterback, Superbowl XXIX champion, Pro Bowl quarterback and motivational speaker; Matt Fradd, prolific author and speaker who rallies men to live boldly and purely in our time; Matthew Leonard, Catholic author and speaker and vice-president and producer at St. Paul Center for Biblical theology; and The Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, Bishop of Grand Rapids.  He will also celebrate Mass.  Breakfast and lunch will be served, and there will be times available for confession.
March 11, 2019.  Luncheon Meeting and Lenten Program, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square..
March 19, 2019.  Feast Day of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
March 25, 2019.  The Annunciation of the Lord and Board Meeting with Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.
April 14-20, 2019.  Holy Week.
April 21, 2019.  Easter Sunday.
June 19-23, 2019.  Serra International Convention, Mexico City.  Registration information is now available at the Serra International website.

Priests' Anniversaries for March.

Father Richard J. Host, March 17, 1974.

In Preparation for Lent.

In many congregations, the ashes are prepared by burning palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday.  On Palm Sunday, churches bless and hand out palm branches to attendees, a reference to the Gospels' account of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when onlookers laid palm branches in his path.

The ashes of this holiday symbolize two main things:  death and repentance.  "Ashes are equivalent to dust, and human flesh is composed of dust or clay (Genesis2:7), and when a human corpse decomposes, it returns to dust or ash."

When we come forward to receive the ashes on Ash Wednesday, we are saying that we are sorry for our sins, and that we want to use the season of Lent to correct our faults, purify our hearts, control our desires and grow in holiness so we will be prepared to celebrate Easter with great joy.

With this focus on our own mortality and sinfulness, Christians can enter into the Lent season solemnly, while also looking forward in greater anticipation of joy of the message of Easter and Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death.

The history and beginnings of Lent aren't clear.  According to Britannica.com, Lent has likely been observed "since apostolic times, though the practice was not formalized until the First Council of Nicea in 325 CE.  Christian scholars note that Lent became more regularized after the legalization of Christianity in A. D. 313.  St. Irenaeus, Pope St. Victor I, and St. Athanasius all seem to have written about Lent during their ministries.  Most agree that 'by the end of the fourth century, the 40-day-period of Easter preparation known as Lent existed, and that prayer and fasting constituted its primary spiritual exercises.'"

As far as the exact rules and practices of Lent, those have changed over the years.  In the early centuries, fasting rules were strict, as they still are in the Eastern churches, notes Britannica.com.  "One meal a day was allowed, in the evening, and meat, fish, eggs and butter were forbidden.  The Eastern church also restricts the use of wine, oil, and dairy products.  In the West, these fasting rules have gradually been relaxed.  The strict law of fasting among Roman Catholics was dispensed with during World War II, and only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are now kept as Lenten fast days."

Verses to Reflect on for Ash Wednesday:

OUR CREATION.  Genesis 2:7.  "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
OUR CURSE:  Genesis 3:19.  "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
OUR CRY OF REPENTANCE:  (Psalm 51:7-10).  "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

A Prayer for Ash Wednesday.

Lord, Holy One, have mercy on us.  We confess our sins to you.  We have fallen short of your glory and without your mercy and grace, we would be dust.  We repent now.  Lord, as we enter into this Lenten season,  hear us.  Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to feel right conviction and repentance for our sin.  Help us, by your Spirit, to have the strength to overcome the enemy.

Thank you, Lord, that Easter is coming!  Death has no sting, no victory, because of Jesus.  Glory and honor and praise to His name!  Thank you for rescuing us.  Help us keep both the weight and the joy of this season in our hearts and move through the next several weeks.  Help us bear the good fruit of your Spirit.

Thank you that the ashes on our forehead do not symbolize our ultimate reality.  From dust we might have been formed, but our bodies, our spirits, ourselves, await beautiful redemption and the restoration of all things.  Help us long and look forward to that day, and let it come quickly, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Sources:  Time.com, TheCatholicSpirit.com and Britannica.com.

So What's the Connection between Candlemas and Ground Hog Day?

As we mentioned last month, we would complete this explanation in the March Newsletter.

Candlemas became linked to weather predictions about the end of winter because of an old English poem:

If Candlesmas be fair and bright,
Come winter, have another fight.
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, 
Go winter, and come not again.

It makes sense that early February was a good time to prognosticate about the weather, especially as February 2nd marks the midpoint between winter and spring.  And the English poem appears to be the source of the shadow connection.  The Germans in Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch, who undoubtedly celebrated Candlemas, added their own touch to the tradition.
This year the question of how long winter is going to last is of special significance!

Pray for Vocations and for our Club.

Also, please keep in mind that we need officers, especially a president, and for many of the available positions.  As a Lenten activity, please consider consulting the membership materials from serraus.org.  Read and pray!


What more doth the Lord require of thee but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  Micah 6:8.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter February 2019

Serrans are Catholic lay men and women who vigorously respond to the call to promote and support vocations to the ministerial priesthood and consecrated life in the Catholic Church.

Calendar of Events.

January February 2, 2019.  National Catholic Schools Week  See excerpts from the Bishop's letter later in this newsletter.
February 2 and 3, 2019.  World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.
February 2, 2019.  The Presentation of the Lord and the Purification of Mary.
February 3, 2019.  St. Blase.
February 4, 2019.  Telephone Conference for Programs, 8:00 p.m. EST.
February 11, 2019.  Luncheon Meeting and Speaker, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.  Speaker will be Sister Delgado, Prioress of the Dominicans.
February 19, 2019.  Telephone Conference for Vocations, 8:20-9:20 P.M. EST.  See Serraus.org for telephone numbers and access codes.
February 25, 2019.  Board Meeting and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.  All members are welcome to attend.
February 27, 2019.  Serra International Founders Day (1935).

Looking Ahead.  
May 12, 2019.  World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
June 19-23, 2019.  Serra International Convention, Mexico City.  You will stay at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma.  Special rate for participants:  $142 per night.

One of the world's largest cities, Mexico City offers a wide variety of attractions, activities, and experiences for all visitors to its vast expanse, with great ethnic, architectural, topographical, and ecological diversity.  It also presents a glimpse at the long and rich history of the Mexican capital, from pre-hispanic times and the colonial era to contemporary life in a city that never ceases to surprise.

You will be able to visit the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe, thus visit Her!  There's also a great variety of important museums that are representative of Mexican culture, its art and history.  And if art and history are not really your thing, you can always go shopping or dining in the most exclusive areas.
From the Serran, September 2018.

From the Office of the Bishop.

Dear Friends in Christ,

We have good news to share and celebrate as we observe national Catholic Schools Week, Jan.27-Feb 2, 2019.  The 31 Catholic schools in our diocese are serving more than 6,650 students this school year,  including our largest preschool class in 18 years and our largest kindergarten class in six years...Last fall we welcomed students into the hallways and classrooms at the new, independent St. Robert Catholic School in Ada.   We are also proud that our alliance of Catholic schools in the diocese has implemented new curriculum standards, which are firmly rooted in our faith and were developed through contributions from educators in theologians...

We are committed to offering an excellent education to even more students through our "Catholic Schools:  Bridging Faith and Future

The Serra Rally and Mission Bus Tour 2019.

John and Weldon will make information about the rally and the bus tour available at the February meeting.

About the Presentation of the Lord.

Known originally as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a relatively ancient celebration.  The Church of Jerusalem observed the feast as early as the first half of the fourth century, and likely earlier.  The feast celebrates the presentation of Christ in the temple at Jerusalem on the 40th Day after His birth.

Date:  February 2.
Prayers:  Nunc Dimities, the Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32).
Other Names for the Feast.  Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, the Meeting of the Lord, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.

The History of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

According to Jewish Law, the firstborn male child belonged to God, and the parents had to  "buy him back" on the 40th day after his birth, by offering a sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple (thus the "presentation of the child).  On that same day, the mother would be ritually purified (thus the "purification').

 Mary and Joseph kept this law, even though, since Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ, she would not have had to go through ritual purification.  In this gospel, Luke recounts the story (Luke 2:22-39).

When Christ was presented in the temple, "there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25).  When Mary and Joseph brought Christ to the temple, Simeon embraced the child and prayed the Canticle of Simeon:

Now dost thou dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to the word in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people of Israel (Luke 2:29-32).

Candlemas and Groundhog Day.

The emphasis on light, as well as the timing of the feast, falling as it does in the last weeks of winter, led to another, secular holiday celebrated in the United States on the same date:  Groundhog Day.  You can learn more about the connection between the religious holiday and the secular one by looking up, Why Did the Groundhog See His Shadow?

Possible Lenten Project for Our Club.

Dan Grady sent a note about a possible Lenten project for our club.  Maybe we could all assist him in arranging and organizing this project:

"During my Serra Club visits while on the SI Board, I attended one event during which the club presented to the Bishop a tally of prayers, etc. for vocations--rosaries prayed, hours of adortion, mass intentions--for seminarians, priests, and religious.  It was a large diocese and the Serrans involved non-Serrans as well.  The number was in the tens of thousands.  I can only imagine the task of organizing and tallying the numbers.  It would be similar to a 'spiritual bouquet,' for those who have heard of those.

Maybe we could start with just the club and friends of Serra, maybe a Lenten project that we present to the Bishop around Good Shepherd Sunday?'"

Dan would welcome your suggestions.  I know that I myself would benefit by creating a daily schedule for prayers, Scripture reading, and prayers for vocations.  Maybe we could start by tallyin our own activities during the Lenten season.

Also, membership is a goal for 2019.  Let us pray for that cause also, and consider people we know whom we could invite to join Serra.

The Serra Foundation.

Download the Serran magazine from December 2018 for information about giving to the
Serra Foundation during this upcoming tax season.  Last year the Foundation awarded grants to 25 organizations, all of which were related to the promotion of priestly and religious vocations.

Also, our club was mentioned as one of the Mission Clubs donors ($2000-$2999) in 2017.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!